expected to close in 2007
Prem Plus
**********In 2011 / 2
Midnight 31st December 2011
Good-bye to BBC-2 on analogue.
**********Other New Channels, licensed by Ofcom (no dates yet.)They have been listed by Genre and as to whether they will launch or not (Many thanks to Analoguesat)

NicheEquine TV no recent newsBaby First TV (maccy) American Channel, no sign of any European expansion / licences yet
The Spiritualist Channel(Source: Psychic News,Richardcoulter) no recent newsHomeAbroad.tv no recent news

Comments

1. Saga has confirmed the appointment of auditors KPMG to review its radio business, and has not ruled out a sale. (media.guardian.co.uk) Sub Requ;

2. Ofcom have today announced that they are allowing GMG to move Q96 in with Real Radio in the East End of Glasgow. merrymedia

3. A couple of recent Ofcom winners:- The new FM radio license for Exeter was awarded to Exeter FM. the new Bristol FM license (for the over-40's) was awarded to Original

4. Ofcom has received four applications for the Preston commercial radio licence. Full details of the applications: Central Lancashire Radio, Plc FM, Proud FM and UFM are the four applicants for the Preston licence. (Ofcom

6. BBC Radio 1 have announced details of the second John Peel Day to take place on Thursday 12th October 2006 - the anniversary of John's last broadcast on the network.

* * * * * *

[highlight] Newsie Bits [/highlight]

1. Sky's movie and sports download service has been suspended due to a software security breach. Full Story

2. Popular youth entertainment channel Rapture has submitted an official complaint to media regulator Ofcom about the high amount Sky charges for its EPG.More

3. C21 are now reporting, France's long-planned and long-delayed international rolling news channel, once dubbed 'the French CNN' but now called France 24, will finally launch in December. (Analoguesat)

4. From skyisthebest, According to the Quiz Telly Forums, AVAGO (841) will rebrand to 'Gala TV' this Wednesday 13th September

5. The UK's continuing ongoing move towards total digital switchover will see Freeview overtake Sky in popularity in 2008, somewhat later than previously forecast, claims a new study from Datamonitor. The market analyst's figures show that digital terrestrial TV (DTT) services such as Freeview will exceed satellite offerings like Sky's within the next two years. This latest news from Datamonitor contradicts a forecast earlier this summer from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, which announced that Freeview would have the lead on Sky before the New Year. More Here

6. A survey of Which? magazine subscribers suggests good reliability of digital set-top boxes, with an average of 89% up to four years old still functioning perfectly. But digital TV recorders seem to be less reliable, with one device in six requiring a repair over the past two years. More Here

7. The Cumbrian town of Whitehaven will lead the UK's switch to digital-only television, broadcasting minister Shaun Woodward has announced. In a letter to MPs Woodward and industry minister Margaret Hodge said analogue signals in Whitehaven would be switched off in autumn 2007. The Border television region—the first to go digital-only under the Government's 2008-2012 switchover timetable—will complete its transition in the second quarter of 2009 when the area served by the Caldbeck transmitter switches over.(Digital UK/DTG.org)

[highlight] HD SECTION (HiDef) [/highlight]

1. Sony is giving consumer electronics rival Toshiba a six-month head start in Japan's next-generation DVD format war. Sony said it would launch its Blu-ray high-definition DVD player—which can also record—in Japan in October. Toshiba's rival HD-DVD players went on sale in Japan in March. The Blu-ray launch will be accompanied by the release of 75 movie titles in the Blu-ray disc format, including Swordfish, Syriana and The Da Vinci Code. By that time Toshiba is expected to have up to 150 HD-DVD titles on the market in Japan and Europe. More

2. The number of households watching high-definition television (HDTV) programming is rising rapidly and will continue to do so for years, according to a new report from market research company In-Stat. The technology specialist's new data predicts that the worldwide number of HDTV homes will rise from 15m in mid-2006 to 20.3m by the end of this year. However, the growth will occur in only a few countries because many nations still lack HDTV. Full Story

3. Toshiba's president says the Japanese consumer electronics giant still favours a unified format for the next generation of DVDs, despite the recently launched format war between the Toshiba-backed HD-DVD and Blu-ray standard promoted by rival Sony. Toshiba and Sony attempted to collaborate last year on a unified standard, but talks broke down when each party insisted that their format was the only reasonable way forward. (DTG.org)

[highlight] Other Stuff [/highlight]

Cathode ray tube (CRT) sets will continue to make up the majority of televisions during the next two years, but flat-panel displays will continue to grow in popularity, according to the latest findings. A recent study by IMS Research—entitled The Worldwide Market for Television Sets—estimates that 2006 will be the first year during which worldwide sales revenues from flat screens will exceed those from sales of CRT sets. More

Top Up TV, the UK's digital terrestrial pay-TV operator, has confirmed its revamped service will launch in the autumn. Designed to complement Freeview's stronger channel line-up, Top Up TV Anytime will offer customers more than 100 programmes at any time from a range of 18 channels. Programmes will be stored on a Thomson-manufactured digital television recorder, which will also receive all the Freeview channels. More Sub required.

Consumer electronics giants Sharp and Sony have unveiled a range of new liquid crystal display (LCD) TV sets in time for the all-important pre-Christmas shopping rush. Sharp—which is fighting to regain its LCD market leading position—is to offer two versions each of its new Aquos brand at 52-inches, 46-inches and 42-inches. Sony said it would launch nine new LCD models in Japan including a 52-inch set. More Here

*************
For those of you who are interested in FTA only transmissions
I’ve included this link
Want to know about Regional TV for your area? Here is a map.

Some sites of further interest SES Astra website. EutelsatEverything analogue More Satellite News HereYou can always try this site for more info!
Get Free Digital TV HereSky’s HD site includes jargon buster information on buying an H.D.-ready TV.
If you are thinking about an HD set, or, if you want to know more about WideScreen,
then This site is a must.
~~~~~
[highlight] Here are the credits;[/highlight]
I’d like to give my thanks to the regular contributors of
this thread making what I do so much easier.
In no particular order they are, Analoguesat , DigiMan, Skyisthebest, Sky Fan, James Vertigan,
swine1, Paddy C, Clacton Crew, lynam, simax, astra19E,
Anthony Haines, Classics TV, Ian Cleverly, digitalsatman, bendolino, Craigsteele2001, 2fabiola, Lunar, TV Duniya, matwood , TV Ideas, i am not here, djrich, Disco, robcole2004, milktrolley, D.Sky D.
Want to be added?......... then P.M. me

For anyone wanting to do a force download: Don't bother! The download stream has been switched off until Friday, I believe the reason is so the new boxes can get the software (Pace 'Flow' and Thomson HD). Force Downloading will not change the software version.

Is this anything to do with the country music tv that a lot of people would like to see back on sky?

I have no idea. Seeing as they were CMT not CMusic probably not. Why not email them and ask - theres an address on the front page of the site.

Is there really a demand for country music in the uk? CMT closed as it was not getting any viewers. Radio channel Country 1035 went through several incarnations and owners before turning into an Asian channel.....

This is bound to turn up on Sky, although at the moment its only confirmed for DAB:

First national jazz station to launch in the UK

GCap Media is to launch the UK’s first national jazz station on DAB digital radio, playing a broad range of music styles from across the jazz spectrum including Bebop, Swing, Cool jazz, Trad, Blues, Soul jazz, Modern jazz and Smooth/Fusion. Primarily targeting the commercially attractive 35+ ABC1 demographic, the station will fill the gap in the market for a jazz-only station.

Feedback from listeners and market research point to a strong demand for this format and GCap Media believes that such a service is best delivered on a national platform where the station can generate significant audience.

GCap Media has a strong track record in extending the appeal of niche music formats to wider audiences and maximising their commercial potential. Classic FM is now the UK’s largest commercial radio station with 6.2 million listeners* and has its own TV station, magazine and website as well as a series of popular concerts and best-selling CDs.

The new station will operate as a sister service to Classic FM, and the similar target audience of the two stations will create cross promotion and endorsement opportunities for both. The stations will also work in tandem to provide advertisers with greater access to the ABC1 demographic and to further GCap Media’s strategy of targeting listeners to BBC Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4.

Darren Henley, Station Manager for Classic FM, will be responsible for the new station. He said: “We want to do for jazz what we’ve done for classical music at Classic FM. The service will be programmed in a similar style to Classic, treating jazz with the respect it deserves while making it accessible to people who enjoy jazz but may never have been able to listen to specialist jazz programmes before.”

The new station will launch towards the end of 2006 and will be based in London’s Leicester Square.

Feedback from listeners and market research point to a strong demand for this format and GCap Media believes that such a service is best delivered on a national platform where the station can generate significant audience.

So it looks like the 'Player' branding is to be scrapped in favour of 'Bravo 2'. This change would also mean Bravo and Bravo +1 moving up one EPG number so that Bravo 2 would be placed after the main Bravo channels.

Also, i wonder if the 'Lava' music channel is gearing up to launch soon.....